Europe must sort itself out and assess its limitations, giving the member states tools to act - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told reporters during a break of the informal meeting of heads of state and government of the European Union in Budapest on Friday.
Giorgia Meloni stated at the impromptu press conference: many pretend that certain disputes are only now coming to the surface, be it European competitiveness or trade tariffs.
He reminded that the initiative on competitiveness has been on the agenda for months - the publication of Hungary's consecutive presidency program - as a response is needed to the American economic protection measures, which have already been applied by the administration of President Joe Biden.
Don't ask what America can do for us, let's answer what Europe can do for itself
- said Giorgia Meloni in the statement also published by the Office of the Prime Minister in Rome. The Italian politician believed that Europe should "shake itself up" and assess its own limitations.
"There are many challenges and we know roughly what we have to do. The big question we need to answer is whether we really want to give the member states the means to fulfill the set strategic goals. Among these, the use of funds is considered central: we know that significant funds are needed for the investments necessary to implement the plans, and this is where the real debate takes place."
- stated Meloni, who is convinced that Europe, including Italy, must ensure greater independence in the field of defense as well.
Everything requires resources, but I am not willing to put the burden on Italian citizens and workers. I want to spend the resources on real needs, without throwing money out the window
- remarked the Prime Minister.
Regarding the fact that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called for peace in Ukraine as soon as possible, Giorgia Meloni expressed her support. At the same time, he emphasized that as long as the war lasts, Rome will continue to stand by Ukraine.
Meloni told the opposition in Italy that instead of attacking the right-wing government, the "caviar-accustomed" left should find its own identity with which it can represent the interests of the people.
The Italian Prime Minister mentioned that at Thursday's meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, there was talk of the Italian migrant camps established in Albania, in which the interest of the member states was emphasized, especially with regard to the issue of countries considered safe. The Roman government considers nineteen countries safe to return migrants to, but courts have questioned the government's order and are refusing to order the detention and deportation of illegal arrivals.
"According to the Italian courts, no country in the world is safe, which leads to immigration becoming uncontrollable and illegal migration impossible to stop"
Giorgia Meloni thought.
The biggest diplomatic event in the history of Hungary
Yesterday, the summit of the European Political Community was held in Budapest, which Viktor Orbán called the biggest diplomatic event in the history of Hungary. He arrived in the Hungarian capital alongside the heads of state and government
• Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission,
• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte,
• Charles Michel, President of the European Council,
• as well as Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke at the event.
Featured image: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrives at the informal meeting of the heads of state and government of the European Union in the Puskás Arena on November 8, 2024. MTI/Koszticsák Solid
